Blame It On The Mistletoe
by A. Price
Summary: B/S holiday fluffiness


He stood at the back door with the two gifts in his  
hands. He started to knock but hesitated when he saw  
Dawn enter the kitchen. She was smiling and dancing  
around to the Christmas music playing on the radio. He  
grinned she looked happy as she started to decorate a  
batch of cookies sitting on the island countertop.  
  
He decided it best to leave the gifts at the door -  
when she looked up and noticed him at the door. She  
smiled at him as she went to the door. "Spike!  
I wondered if I was ever going to see you again!  
Thanks for helping me get to the hospital, when you  
know....."  
  
"Your welcome, Little bit." He walked in to the  
kitchen cautiously looking around. "So how is everyone  
now?"  
  
Dawn noticed his caution, "Buffy's in the living  
room," she sighed then she noticed the gifts, "You  
brought gifts!!! Is one for me?"  
  
He had to grin at her excitement, "Yeah, one is for  
you. Since it's Christmas Eve I thought I should  
deliver it."  
  
"Can I open it now?" Her eyes were bright, "Please?"  
  
"Well, yeah. Go ahead." He was suddenly nervous.  
  
Dawn took the offered gift and savagely ripped the bow  
and paper off of it leaving a small white box, she  
opened it and found two things the latest  
BackStreet boys cd and a sparkly blue pager. "Spike  
thanks!!! I've been wanting this cd but you know with  
the money sitch I hated to ask Buffy for it. I have  
to ask why the pager though?"  
  
"Well, your big sis worries about you and you do seem  
to be able to find trouble, so this way she can track  
you down." He explained as he stole a cookie from the   
plate.  
  
"Yeah, but how are you paying for it? Buffy's gonna  
ask." Dawn sighed as she took a cookie.  
  
"It's okay, bit. It's all legit." Spike assured her as  
he thought about his recent employment as a collector  
for Teeth. His reputation made his job easy, very few  
would argue with him when he came collecting. "Guess,  
I  
better go." He lay the other gift on the counter,  
"Could you give this to Buffy for me?"  
  
Dawn smiled at him, "You can't go yet. I've got  
something for you and you really should give that to  
Buffy yourself."  
  
"I'm not sure that's a good idea, Dawn. " He lowered  
his eyes and started towards the back door.  
  
"Okay, but you have to wait for me to get your gift."  
Dawn put her hand on the sleeve of his duster.  
  
"You really got me a gift?" He asked her disbelief  
shown clearly in his eyes.  
  
"Yes, I did. You wait right here." Dawn handed him  
another cookie, "I'll be right back."  
  
****  
Spike listened to the singer on the radio sing about a  
white Christmas as he stared out the kitchen window  
munching on another cookie. Dawn was taking  
her time getting his gift he turned when he heard her  
enter the room. Only it wasn't Dawn, it was Buffy who  
entered the kitchen.  
  
  
"Spike, what are you doing here? Besides stealing  
cookies?" She asked trying to sound angry but it  
didn't reach the soft smile on her lips.  
  
"Oh........I brought Dawn a gift and she gave me the  
cookie." He smiled back at her shyly.  
  
"Oh you brought Dawn something. That was nice of you."  
Buffy picked up a cookie.  
  
"Got something for you too." He said softly as he  
nodded towards the box on the countertop.  
  
"For me?" She picked up the box, "You really didnt'  
have to do that."  
  
"It's not that much, Slayer....Buffy."  
  
"So can I open it?" She asked with a mischevious grin.  
  
"You Summer's women just can't wait to open gifts, can  
you?" He laughed softly, "Go ahead, open it."  
  
He watched as she began to carefully pull off the  
ribbon and then slowly unwrapped the gift trying not  
to wrinkle the pretty paper. While Dawn ripped  
into the package, Buffy savored the unwrapping as a  
part of the gift. When she finally got to the box she  
opened it a bit hesitantly, glancing at Spike.  
  
"Won't bite, I promise." He assured her with a smirk.  
  
She lifted the lid and gasped, "Oh, Spike, it's  
lovely." She lifted the lacey blouse from the box and  
held it up to her, "I think it's a perfect fit."  
  
"Well its almost like the one you had on that  
night.......the one that got..umm destroyed."  
  
She suddenly got very quiet, "Yes, it does look like  
it. Uhh.....thank you." She suddenly became very  
interested in the cookies on the counter.  
  
"What's taking Dawn so long?" He wondered out loud.  
  
"Dawn!" Buffy called out.  
  
"I'm coming, I'm comng." Dawn entered the kitchen with  
a brightly wrapped box, "This is for you!" She handed  
it proudly to Spike.  
  
Spike stared at the gift in his hands, trying to  
remember the last time he had been given a Christmas  
present - he couldn't remember.  
  
"You going to open that or stare at it?" Dawn joked  
with him.  
  
"Oh, yeah. Gonna open it." He began to unwrap the  
present slowly until Dawn could no longer stand it.  
  
"Just rip it open! Geez, your as bad as Buffy." Dawn  
exclaimed as Spike removed the last bit of paper.  
  
He opened the box and lifted out a beautiful sweater  
done in different shades of blue, " Thank you,  
Niblet." He cleared his throat, "Its lovely."  
  
"Well I know the crypt gets chilly and hey Buffy even  
said it would bring out the color of your eyes when we  
saw it at the store." Dawn smiled brightly at Buffy  
who was blushing a pretty shade of pink.  
  
  
"I think I said it would bring out blue eyes, if a  
person was blue eyed." Buffy tried to cover.  
  
"Yeah you said that then mumbled something about how  
it would bring out the blue in some annoying vampires  
eyes, and that could only mean Spike." Dawn  
clarified for her big sister.  
  
Spike had to grin at Buffy's embarrassment. "Well, I  
do appreciate it, Niblet. Now I had better go, you  
don't want Santa to not stop cause your lights are  
still on." He teased Dawn as he gave her a hug.  
  
"Thanks, Spike. Merry Christmas!" Dawn waved at him  
as she started out of the room, "I am tired think I  
will go on up."  
  
Buffy looked uncomfortable as she was left alone with  
Spike. He picked up on her discomfort and headed for  
the door. "Merry Christmas, Buffy."  
  
He was halfway out the door when she called to him,  
"Spike, thanks for the gift."  
  
He turned, "No problem, pet."  
  
"Please stay - I have something for you too." She  
avoided his eyes as she opened the cabinet door and  
pulled out a red bag with bright green tissue  
paper sticking out of the top. She handed it too him  
wordlessly as he shut the door behind him.  
  
He opened the bag to find a bottle of expensive  
bourbon. "Thank you, Buffy." his voice full of  
surprise.  
  
"Well, I didnt' know what you had in your flask and  
the guy said this was good. I owed it to you for that  
night with the kittens you know." She sighed.  
  
"This is much better stuff then what was in the flask,  
luv. Thanks. I guess I really better go now. You've  
got a busy day tomorrow." He put his hand on the  
doorknob and was shocked to suddenly find her small  
body pressed up to his her lips on his, "Buffy?" He  
asked pulling away from her.  
  
She smiled and looked up over his head at the small  
kissing ball of mistletoe that Anya had placed there  
earlier, "Mistletoe." She explained with nod of  
her head.  
  
He looked up the sprig of leaves and berries and  
grinned back at her, "Just mistletoe, luv?" He teased  
her as his lips found hers again.  
  
She pulled back this time, "Yes, you can blame it all  
on the mistletoe." She kissed him again this time full  
of passion, soon they were so lost in each other that  
they didnt' even notice Dawn standing in the doorway  
with a large grin on her face.  
  
*Finally* Dawn thought as the radio played "I saw  
Mommy kissing Santa Claus underneath the mistletoe  
last night........."  
  
  
The End 


End file.
